Ruffle waist.



G. B. SMITH.

RUFFLE WAIST.

APPLIoATIoN FILED JUNE 16, 11111.

Patented Nov. 24, 1914 l ha). Nk M TE` STATES PAENT OFFICE- GOODWIN B. SMITH, 0F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

RUFFLE WAIST.

Application led June 16, 1911.

To all flu/0m t may concern Be it known that I, GOODWIN B. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the countyof Philadelphia and Stateof Pennsylvania, have invented certain` new and useful Improve- `ments in Ruffle Waists, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to wearing apparel for women, and particularly to rull'le waists and similar articles employed to improve the appearance of the figure.

It is well known that Waist extending ruflies and similar devices have generally `been unsatisfactory, owing to the fact that the rufiles or fiounces become flattened or matted, which is caused by wear.

It is an object of this `invention to provide a ruffle to overcome the above referred to ditliculty, by constructing `said ruffle so that the same may be readily laundried.

An important object of this invention is to provide a ruffle made of suitable fabric and provided with a section of stiffening ma- `terial attached to the same and extending` longitudinally thereof to hold the rutile in the most distended position when gathered, together with novel means` for attaching the ruffle to the waist and causing the same to be gathered. `A further object of this invention is to provide a ruiiie waist of the above character, which is simple in construction, cheap to manufacture, cool, light, and easy to launder.

A further object ofthe invention is to provide a ruffle waist, whereinl means are provided to vary the gathered state of the ruiiie, so that different degrees of fullness will be afforded by the garment to suit the particular wearer.

A further object of ;the\invention is to provide in a ruffle waist of the above character, means whereby the ruffle will hold its shape when gathered for a long time and 'is not liable to be flattened or distorted.

The invention is carried out by providing a body or corset waist to which are attached adjustable ruflles, having draw-strings running longitudinally therethrough. By proper manipulation of the draw-strings the rutlles may be gathered and hence made to give any desired degree of fullness. Each of the ru'liles is free from attachment to the waist, at least, at one end, whereby the same may Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented N ov. 24, 1914.

serial No. 633,470.

be distended to lie flat, for the purpose of laundrying.

'In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same, Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved garment, Fig. 2 .is a sectional view taken on line Q-Q of Fig. 4, Fig. 3 is a similar view taken on line `3?) of Fig. 4, Fig. 4 is an outer side view ofthe body or waist, showing one rullie crimped and `the other distended to lie flat, Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 4l, Fig. G is a similar view taken on line 6-6 of Fi 4, Fig. 7 is a similar view taken on line -7 of Fig. 4, Fig.

`8 `is a similar view taken on line S-S of `Fighe, and, Fig. 9 1s a detail view showing a slightly different manner of securingthe rullleto the waist.

In the drawings wherein is illustrated a preferred embodiment of my invention, the numeral 1 designates as a whole, a body or waist formed of a plurality of sections 2, 3 and 4, which are preferably formed of a washable fabric. These sections are suitably shaped, as shown, so when they are stitched together, as shown at, 5, the waist will fit the wearer. A t the lower end of the sections Q, tand 4L is attached a rull'le G, and this union is reinforced by a tape 7, stitched as shown at `8, (see Fig. i) to said sections and rullle. This tape affords a casing for the reception of a draw or tie string 9. The body or waist is preferablyformed open in the back and the string 9 is adapted to extend around the waist of the wearer to hold the garment in proper place. One section 2 is provided with a button 10 and the other section 2 with a loop 11 for detachable engagement therewith. A tape 12 `is folded about the edges of the body o1' waist 1 and is stitched thereto, as shown. Openings 18 are provided to receive the arms of the wearer. Upper portions of the sections 2 `and 3 are reduced to form straps 14 and 15, respectively, which are adapted to be detachably connected through the medium of a safety pin 16 ormother suitable device. The body or waist may preferably be trimmed with lace 17, extending about the tape 12, as shown.

Disposed upon one side of the body or waist, preferably the outer side thereof, is a pair of ruffles 18, each of which has one end only stitched or attached to the body 1 adjacent the arm opening 13. Each of these ruilies 18 is provided along its two longitudinal edges with hems 19, stitched, as shown at 20. The rutile is also provided at its free end with a transverse hem 21, stitched, as shown at 22. `Within the two' hems 19 extend draw-strings 23 operating between the two .rows of stitching 20, as more clearly shown in Fig. 2. Corresponding ends of the draw-strings 23 are attached to the body or waist 1, adjacent the armholes 13. Each of the ruffles 18 is provided preferably upon its outer side with a strip of summer netting or other stiffening fabric 24v, which is disposed longitudinally of the ruilie midway of its longitudinal edges. The strip 24 is stitched or otherwise attached to the rutile.

As shown in Fig. 9, the ruflie 18 is not` the waist. rlhis arrangement also makes it possible to regulate the fullness under the arm.

As illustrated in Fig. l, the body or waist 1 is` in the position that it occupies when being worn. The ruifies 18 are gathered and the free ends of the draw-strings 23 of one ruffle are tied to corresponding draw-strings of the other ruliie. The ruilles 18 may be morevor less gathered to give the desired degree of fullness. The section of stiffening material 24: aids in holding the ruffle in its requisite shape when gathered. As clearly shown in Fig. 4, one of the rufiles 18 is shown distended or stretched out so that the same will lie perfectly flat. This is done when the garment is being laundried and particularly during the ironing process. It will thus be seen that the rulies'are easily ironed, which is an important feature of the invention. When the rulile is not stitched to the waist, as shown in Fig. 9, the same may be removed from said waist, as hereinabove stated.

I wish it understood that the form of my invention herewith shown and described is to be talren asa preferred example of the same and that certain changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. The combination with a body or waist, of oppositely arranged pairs of drawstrings having their outer ends permanently attached to the body or waist adjacent the longitudinal pockets formed adjacent the longitudinal edges thereof to receive the being formed of a single ksectionof fabric having draw-strings in the pair, the rutile being` normally perfectlyflat both longitudinally and transversely and being free from flounces and lateral extensions upon its 'surface, whereby the ruiile may be `readily ironed in its flat condition, said ruffle being free from connection with the `material of the body or waist and longitudinally bodily movable upon the draw-strings both when in its crimped condition and distended .position, whereby the crimped ruffle maybe bodily shifted to fill `out the exact desired portion of the body and may be readily bodily removed from the body or waist'for the purpose of ironing or' substitution.

2. The combination with a body garment` ladapted to conform generally to the bust of the wearer, of a pair of approximately horizontal transversely crimped outwardly bulging bust producing ruflles arranged upon the body garment in proximity to the bust of the wearer, and means connecting the ruflles with the body garment so that the inner endsof the ruffles are permanently free to be moved toward and away from each other to increase or decrease the degree of transverse crimping of the ruiiies.

3. The combination with a body garment adapted to conform generally 'to the bust of the wearer, of a pair of approximately horizontal strings arranged upon one side of the front of the body garment with their outer ends secured to the garment, and a pair of approximately horizontal bust producing ruftles separate from the garment and provided with longitudinal hems to receive the strings, whereby the ruftles when transversely crimped and arranged upon the pair of strings may be bodily moved longitudinally thereof toward and away from each other.

4. The combinationwith a'body garment adapted to conform generally to the shape of the bust, of a plurality of approximately horizontal strings arranged upon one` side of the front of the body and secured thereto, and an .approximately horizontal ruffle adapted to be transverselycrimped and provided near its longitudinal edges with means to receive the strings and adapted to be longitudinally distended by movement of portions thereof longitudinally of the strings until the same lies flat thereon.

5. The combination with a body garment adapted to conform generally to the shape of the bust, of a plurality of strings secured near their outer ends to the body and adapted to be approximately horizontally arranged upon one side of the front ofV the iso body, a ruffle adapted to be transversely crimped and provided with spaced longitudinally extending means to receive the strings, and a longitudinal strip of stiiiening material secured to the ruiiles between the string receiving means and possessing a substantially higher degree of stiffness than the material of the ruille.

6. The combination with a body garment adapted to conform generally to the shape of the bust, of a plurality of pairs of approximately horizontal strings arranged upon one side of the body garment with their outer ends attached to the body garment adjacent the arm holes thereof and their inner ends permanently free from connection with the body garment and adapted to be detachably tied together, and approximately horizontal bust producing rutlles adapted to be transversely crimped, said rutlles being provided with longitudinal hems to receive the strings and adapted to be longitudinally shifted upon the strings and removed therefrom when desired.

In testimony whereoi:I I ailix my signature in presence oi' two witnesses.

GOOD'WIN B, SMITH. W'itnesses:

M. L. Liri-LER, E. L. Soi-nimma.

Copies of this patent may ;be obtained for five cents each,` by addressing the Commissioner of .atenti` Washington, D. C. 

